The present invention relates to a cushioning device, such as an overlay for a mattress, which includes an integrated restraint structure.
Therapeutic supports for bedridden patients have been well known for many years. Such therapeutic supports include inflatable mattresses and cushions, as well as a variety of foam mattresses and cushions. Most therapeutic mattresses and cushions are designed to reduce xe2x80x9cinterface pressures,xe2x80x9d which are the pressures encountered between the mattress and the skin of a patient lying on the mattress. It is well known that interface pressures can significantly affect the well-being of immobile patients in that higher interface pressures can reduce local blood circulation, tending to cause bed sores and other complications. With inflatable mattresses, such interface pressures depend (in part) on the air pressure within the inflatable support cushions. Most inflatable therapeutic mattresses are designed to maintain a desired air volume within the inflated cushion or cushions to prevent bottoming. xe2x80x9cBottomingxe2x80x9d refers to any state where the upper surface of any given cushion is depressed to a point that it contacts the lower surface, thereby markedly increasing the interface pressure where the two surfaces contact each other.
One type of therapeutic support is an inflatable cushion used as an overlay (i.e., a supplemental pad positioned on top of an existing structure, such as a mattress). For example, the Sof-Care(copyright) cushions of Gaymar Industries, Inc. are cushions which overlay an existing mattress and which include a multitude of lower individual air chambers and a multitude of upper individual air chambers with air transfer channels therebetween. Air is transferred through the interconnecting channels to redistribute the patient""s weight over the entire bed cushion. A three layer overlay cushion known as the Sof-Care(copyright) II cushion continually redistributes patient weight through more than 300 air-filled chambers and may include hand grips at the side of the cushion to assist in patient positioning. In these types of cushions, the individual air chambers remain pressurized.
There have also been provided cushion and pump combinations in which alternate air chambers are alternately inflated and deflated to relieve excess pressure on patients at risk of developing pressure ulcers or to relieve excess pressure on patients with pressure ulcers (e.g., the Airflo Alternating Pressure System of Gaymar Industries, Inc.). Micro-vents and/or low air loss tubes may also provided to produce a gentle flow of air beneath the patient to help minimize moisture build-up.
Rotating the patient on an inflatable mattress is also a well known method to avoid bed sores on immobile patients. Such a method is disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,794,289 and 6,079,070, which are commonly assigned.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,794,289 to Wortman et al. describes a mattress unit having a plurality of air cells. The mattress unit rotates a patient by controlling the air pressure in each air cell by inflation and deflation. To rotate a patient to its right side requires deflating the right air cells and inflating the left air cells. The air pressure required to rotate the patient depends on the patient""s weight, body type, and various other parameters.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,079,070 to Flick describes a cushion for use as an overlay that includes a pair of inflatable side-by-side upper cells, a pair of individually inflatable side-by-side lower bladders, a crib, and a manifold all disposed within a cover. For inclining the cushion upper surface to one side, one of the bladders is inflated while the other is uninflated.
However, when the overlay cushions described above are used in conjunction with an underlying structure, e.g., a separate mattress unit, the risk to the user of falling from the structure is increased. In particular, the overlay cushion adds to the height of the structure, thus increasing the risk. Moreover, the risk of falling from the structure is especially prevalent when an overlay cushion is used as part of a rotating mattress. In this situation, the weight of the user is being shifted toward one side of the mattress and, therefore, the risk of falling from the mattress in that direction is significantly increased. Since those users requiring a rotating mattress are typically unable to move well themselves, the added risk to these users is intensified.
One attempt to resolve the above-described risk of falling is the crib structure in U.S. Pat. No. 6,079,070 to Flick. In particular, in U.S. Pat. No. 6,079,070, the cushioning system includes a crib structure which provides a framework for receiving the inflatable portion of the cushioning system. The crib has two protruding leg covers and a base connecting the two leg covers extending beneath the inflatable portion of the cushion. The leg covers extend along the outer sides of the inflatable portion and receive bolster bladders. Alternatively, the crib structure may be composed of foam material.
Thus, the cushioning system disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,079,070 is a multi-component system including two major components, an inflatable portion and a supporting crib. Each of these major components includes several sub-components, all of which must be placed within a cover. Therefore, this cushioning system requires on-site assembly, making it more difficult to use by untrained users, or must be delivered pre-assembled, which would require expensive and bulky packaging. Moreover, the production of a multi-component cushioning system increases manufacturing difficulties and costs.
Accordingly, there remains a need for a cushioning device for use as an overlay which includes an inexpensive and easy to use restraint system. The present invention is directed to overcoming these and other deficiencies in the art.
The present invention relates to a cushioning device including an inflatable cushion having at least one side and first and second opposing surfaces, and at least one restraint structure attached to at least a portion of the at least one side of the inflatable cushion.
The present invention also relates to a cushioning system including an inflatable cushion having at least one side and first and second opposing surfaces, at least one restraint structure attached to at least a portion of the at least one side of the inflatable cushion, and an inflation device operably connected to the inflatable cushion.
The present invention also relates to a method for restraining a user on a cushion. This method involves positioning a cushioning device on a supporting structure, the cushioning device including an inflatable cushion having at least one side and first and second opposing surfaces, and at least one restraint structure attached to at least a portion of the at least one side of the inflatable cushion. Then, a user is positioned on first surface of the inflatable cushion, and the inflatable cushion is inflated.
The cushioning device of the present invention provides a simple, one-piece device for home or hospital use for providing pressure relief so that pressure ulcers may be eliminated or retarded. The integrated restraint structure in the cushioning device eliminates the need for multiple components, thereby eliminating the need for on-site assembly of the cushioning device. In addition, the elimination of the need for multiple components in the cushioning device makes the device easy to use for an untrained user. Further, the integrated restraint structure in the cushioning device decreases costs of manufacture.